Shangri-la
Chapter 19
Lotus didn’t know how to react, so she kept herself from reacting at all. Although she desperately wanted to understand what Iris was talking about, she didn’t ask any questions, she didn’t show any emotion.
“Well?” Iris asked quietly. “Don’t you care enough to say anything?”
“I don’t know what there is to say,” Lotus replied calmly. “It’s too late to matter anyway, considering that we’re already here.”
“It matters,” Iris took a step away, “because I don’t have to stay.”
“Iris,” Lotus used her most logical voice, “this is much bigger than you and me. This is Shangri-la.”
“I don’t care.” The girl took another step, and Lotus’s heart began pounding. “Shangri-la is your love, not mine.”
“But you are connected to it!” Lotus’s panic showed through in her voice, but she didn’t try to hide it. “You are the key! We can’t unlock Shangri-la without you!”
“I hope you never unlock Shangri-la!” Iris suddenly screamed with tears flowing down her cheeks, and turning around, she took off running. Lotus stood dumbfounded, watching Iris leave and trying to comprehend what had gone wrong.
“You screwed that up,” Oran said, moving closer to Lotus.
“How?” Lotus felt like crying herself.
“You really are dense sometimes. I can’t believe that you honestly don’t see it . . .” Oran shook his head. “I bet that the last thing Iris wanted to hear about was Shangri-la.”
“But everything we did was for Shangri-la . . .” She was still stuck in place, staring at Iris as the distance made her grow smaller, taking her away and threatening to swallow her up.
“No, everything you did was for Shangri-la. That girl had a different motivation.” Walking to his car, Oran pulled out a walkie-talkie, then returning he pressed it into Lotus’s hand. “Go after her, and let me know when you’ve sorted everything out.”
“But I don’t understand . . .”
“Go!” Oran shoved against Lotus’s back. “You’ll move faster if you’re a wolf.”
Stumbling, Lotus looked back and nodded, then clipping the walkie-talkie to her pants she crouched down as her body shifted and changed. Within a couple of seconds, a red wolf ran along the side of the road.
Oran sighed. “Lotus,” he said, “you’ve always been oblivious to love.”
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